Jul
29
From YouTube:
Takes the comedy “Officespace” and turns it into a horror movie…
Link to original:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atHWASn_ygo
At work we’re integrating more Macs into our network. Both Mac integration projects have at least 10 computers (a lab of iMacs and a lab of Macbooks). If they were PC’s, it’d be easy peasy mac ‘n cheesy; we’d whip out Symantec Ghost, create a single image, and blam!, done…
But in the Mac world… not so easy. I qualify this by saying: Not so easy if you don’t own an Apple server.
While it’s great you don’t need to buy additional software, you need the server to do anything with NetBoot.
I’ve tried making a Mac desktop a NetBoot server, but unfortunately the directions I found did not get me to where I needed to be (which was a working server). After following them step by step (and plodding through Linux command/shell crap) no dice.
Finally had success.
Using the image we made with Mike Bombich’s Netrestore, I found that in order to restore, you could not boot the target system off its hard drive. However, you can boot off the Install CD and then use the included Disk Utility to restore.
Someday someone will make it easy; but.. oh yeah, it’s a mac.. it’s already E-Z (sniff, sniff.. do I smell sarcasm?)
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Jul
29
If you don’t know about this video… you’ll never be the same after watching it!
NOTE: This is from the author of the video…
Jul
26
So I’m completing my transformation to the dark side (Apple) with integrating my iPhone into my life (some kind of symbiotic relationship). What is amazing is how everyone complains about Microsoft and their “we are borg”-like way of integration, but yet no one really complains how Apple hardware ONLY works with Apple (or how you can only get an Apple computer, not some clone) or that in order to fully use an Apple product, you have to use iTunes (which itself is a closed system). Hey, I’d love to connect my iRiver multimedia device to iTun.. oh wait… Hey, I’d love to re-download my iTunes purchas… oh wait…
Anyhow, I digress… (I guess I’m not fully Apple Borg yet)
Going through the process of integrating my iPhone I learn I can only use it with iTunes… bummer…
Any application I want for my iPhone I have to go through the iTunes store… bummer
I can’t save attachments (like a music file) onto my iPhone… bummer
Okay.. enough complaining…
back to our scheduled broadcast…
SOME COOL APPS ON THE IPHONE:
I started adding apps that I thought would benefit me on either a business or personal level.
Here’s what on my iPhone (so far):
Shazam
This app listens to a song and attempts to identify it. You can then purchase the song on iTunes… or watch the video on YouTube..
So far I’ve found it works “okay”…
Price: Free
Jott
Jott (http://www.jott.com) is a service you can speak into your phone and then receive the recording in text format and you can set a reminder to come via email at a future date/time.
Price: Free
StageHand
Stagehand is the iPhone half of a product called Stage Manager.
This is a utility I’ve been looking for years to find! It allows you to remote control Apple’s Presentation software Keynote ‘08. Not only can you move around the presentation, you can also highlight areas of the slide (a virtual laser pointer so to speak).
What really gets me going about this product is that your notes are on the iPhone, so you can have your notes and the presentation device all in one place, making you look oh so slick!
…Now if I can only develop a slick presentation!
Price: $7.99 for the software (the iPhone app is free (but useless without the software!)
Wordpress app
Yes, you can blog directly from your iPhone!
NOTE: This only works with personal Wordpress sites, not blogs on the Wordpress site…
Price: Free
Orb
Orb is a utility to access media on your home computer.
At the moment the iPhone 3g does not have the capability of streaming video, but it’s a cool utility to grab songs and pictures from your home computer.
But alas, as stated before, you can’t save it locally…*sigh*
Price: Free
Pandora
I’m late in the game to the Pandora music service (A web service that allows you to create stations of your favorite artists and plays similiar songs (which you can then tailor to your taste)).
The app works flawlessly… I’ve even hooked my iPhone to my car stereo and did not lose connectivity from my house all the way to my work
Price: Free
PhoneSaber
This app does nothing but leverage the motion sensor of the iPhone into a Jedi light saber.
Get your geek on!
Price: Free
Activesync
Activesync is the built-in connection to Exchange; Apple (in one of their smart moves) licensed this from Microsoft. This brings the iPhone from the geek-sphere to a business level product.
But… as with my other disappointments… it’s not as strong as my Blackjack Windows Mobile phone.
You can’t save stuff, you can’t accept/send meeting requests, you don’t get the ability to manage/create tasks… *sigh*
But at least I didn’t spend $600 to be an “early adopter”!
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“…I’m gonna make this pencil disappear”
Saw The Dark Knight at the 12:45 showing…
Have to say… the movie was excellent… but…
I know I’m gonna get nailed for this… I have two “critiques” about the movie:
NOTE: SPOILER ALERT!!!!! DO NOT CONTINUE!!!
1. What was with the music right before something bad/killing was gonna take place? It happened 90% of the time! The first couple of times it was okay… but after 6 or 7 (yes, there were many deaths!) you would think they’d stop this “announcement” plot device.
2. The Plot. While the characters were excellent, and the scenes were great… what was the point of the movie? I still don’t understand… was it the Batman fighting the mob? Was it a long-winded attempt to show that the line between good and evil is a thin one? Was the point that it had none, and you were immersed into a slice of time in Gotham?
END OF SPOILER ALERT*********
On another note, I have to shine a light on an excellent fan made trailer:
If you need the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szjKxptMLfA
Jul
19
Wednesday (7/16) I attempted to purchase a new iPhone and could not find one ANYWHERE. So I calmed down my LOTR “precious” fit, and decided I can wait as I already have a phone with MS Activesync technology.
Being the experienced geek who dances on the bleeding edge, I knew the best chance to get one would not be at a retail outlet, but right from the source (no, not the Matrix… AT&T… well.. pretty close!).
I called AT&T to order one; they stated: A. it would be 10-20 days and B. Free shipping is 3-5 days.
So, I placed my excitement on my “hold shelf” and put a 10-20 day timer on it.
Checking my email Thursday night I wet my pants to find a shipping email from AT&T… and…. Free OVERNIGHT SHIPPING!!!
What a great Friday I had… iPhone… Dark Knight… what could be better?
On June 19th a woman under care in Kings County Hospital collapsed in a waiting room and was on the floor for over an hour until someone noticed she was dead. (you can read the story on CNN’s website)
In reading the article, I was struck by the following phrase:
“The corporation pledged to put “additional and significant” reforms in place in the wake of the death.”
NOTE: THE FOLLOWING IS MY OPINION AND SHOULD NOT BE DISSEMINATED AS FACT. MY OPINION IS A GENERAL ONE AND IS NOT SPECIFYING ANY PARTICULAR CORPORATE ENTITY.
(pretty sad that in Amerika™ (yes I meant the “k”) I don’t have the ability to express my freedom of speech without fear)
It is my opinion that hospitals should not be corporate entities but non-profit organizations where money is re-infused into the hospital (and not into the pocket of greedy CEO’s or board members).
It is also my opinion of the health care system in Amerika™ has four levels of care:
Level One: The best money can buy (spare no expense)
Level Two: People that can’t afford the best, so they have to rely upon a corporate entity to subsidize their care
Level Three: State/Federal sponsored subsidation that gives the corporation a fraction of what even insurance pays
Level Four: People with no insurance at all, and relies upon the kindness of corporations (kinda oxymoronic phrase, isn’t it?)
When an entity that is supposed to be altuistic by design becomes an entity that only cares about “the bottom line” (profits, profit margins, paying investors/stockholders,etc), “the bottom line” will always win over altruism. It has to. It’s a corporation.
THE PRECEEDING PARAGRAPH WAS AN OPINION BASED UPON GENERALITIES AND FEELINGS OF THE AUTHOR. ANY INFERENCE TO A PARTICULAR CORPORATE ENTITY IS NOT INTENTIONAL, AND IF ANYONE CAN PROVE MY OPINON WRONG, I WILL BE HAPPY TO REDACT THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH.